in the balance
An artist-led series of talks, screenings and creative workshops, radically repositioning our relationship with nature.
Looking back at recent artworks and forward to what we can make, change, or discuss to bring our planet closer to sustainability, In the Balance exemplifies Urban Wilderness CIC’s groundbreaking approach to community-driven art. Through artistic experimentation and civic engagement we foster meaningful connections between people, places, and creative expression—shaping a more conscious and connected world.
In the Balance invites artists commissioned by Urban Wilderness CIC, many of whom created work during the pandemic as part of Wastelands and The Happenings, to reflect on their projects and how those projects impacted their practice.
NEXT EVENT
Taking Up Space: A Long Table with Gabriella Gay
Thursday 8th May 2025, 7pm - 9pm
Join poet, artist, and creative producer Gabriella Gay for an intimate evening of film, conversation, and community – exploring her personal and creative relationship with nature and wellbeing as a Black Afro-Caribbean woman living in Stoke-on-Trent.
Learn more about Taking Up Space: www.wastelands.online/projects/takingupspace
Book free tickets to attend: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1325089762149
Previous Events
A Journey Through Audio Storytelling with Kat Hughes: Thursday 10th April 2025
Director, producer, and theatre-maker Kat Hughes shared an intimate and engaging session exploring her journey in audio storytelling, offering a rare opportunity to listen to selected works from Kat’s portfolio, spanning podcasts, audio drama, and immersive sound projects.
Learn more about Our Youth Grows: www.wastelands.online/projects/ouryouthgrowsinawasteland
Urban Wilderness CIC presents Museum of Possibilities: Thursday 13th March 2025
Urban Wilderness CIC shared how it uses performance in public spaces, curation, installation, and co-creation in their socially engaged arts practice, exploring themes of loss, resilience, and adaptation, using creativity as a tool to navigate urgent ecological and social challenges.
Learn more about Museum of Possibilities: Museum of Possibilities Catalog
The Weight of Things - David Bethell Artist Talk & Film Screening: Thursday 5th December 2024
David Bethell shared his artistic process with insights into his monumental work The Weight of Things (commissioned by Urban Wilderness in 2020) and presented his film Fleeting Flights (commissioned by Home, Manchester, in 2018).
Learn more about The Weight of Things: www.wastelands.online/projects/theweightofthings
Sky Works - Where are the Trees? Where are the Birds? Art Launch: Thursday 14th November 2024
The launch of transformatory art installation suspended on catenary wire in Longton town centre. Featuring a blend of art and nature , showcasing Raphael Daden’s beautiful light and colour installations and Leanne Cunningham's mesmerising birdsong soundscape.
Ritual Connections - A Mindful Walk with The Immaculate Sisters: Thursday 10th October 2024
The Immaculate Sisters (artists Deborah Rogers and Sam Mace) shared their practice of connecting with nature through ritual, costume, and action. They lead a ritualised walk through Longton, exploring how we can connect with nature in an urban setting.
Symbiotic Artworks Talk & Creative Workshop: Thursday 12th September 2024
We looked back at artist Tracy Meek’s fascinating project Reconnect & Grow, with a focus on symbiosis, mycelium networks and an opportunity to create living artworks inspired by kokedama.
Learn more about Reconnect & Grow: www.thehappenings.org/reconnect-grow
Fawley Film Screening & Walk to Berry Hill Fields: Thursday 11th July 2024
We screened award-winning short film Fawley by Chu Li Shewring and Adam Gutch. Fawley won Best International Short Film at Sheffield Doc-Fest in 2022. It was co-produced by Urban Wilderness CIC and funded by Keele University’s AHRC project Decommissioning the 20th Century.
Joined by Ben Miller, curatorial director of Stoke Museums, who grew up exploring Berry Hill Fields, one of the largest green spaces in the city. With Ben’s guidance, we walked to explore beyond our familiar narrative of our industrial heritage back into prehistory as we find out about the fish fossils that are mixed into the earth.